The Center for Popular Democracy launched a campaign April 27 focused on protecting the 14th Amendment during an event in Downtown Brooklyn. The campaign aims to educate the public and pressure elected officials.
The national network of grassroots organizations initiated the effort with a poetry night at Roulette Intermedium. Co-directors Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper addressed the audience, stating politics influences resource distribution. They described the event as an effort to bring diverse voices together to deepen understanding of obstacles to achieving a better life.
CPD leaders indicated their program includes education on the history of the 14th Amendment and the role Black Americans played in its passage. Cooper referenced the actions of enslaved people during the Civil War period as historical context.
Ratified after Reconstruction, the 14th Amendment establishes citizenship for those born or naturalized in the United States and guarantees equal protection under the law. It includes provisions barring individuals who have engaged in insurrection from holding public office and prevents former Confederate states from repaying war debts of former slave owners. It grants Congress authority to enforce these sections. The amendment has served as legal grounding for court decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education and Roe v. Wade.
According to the Center for Popular Democracy, the 14th Amendment is currently under threat from actions attributed to Donald Trump.
The campaign kickoff event utilized poetry, described by CPD as a means to engage people emotionally and intellectually. Writer and educator Dr. Mahogany L. Browne hosted the "We the Poets" night, emphasizing the role of poets in responding to current issues.
Performers like Raquel Polanco and Damiano Malvasio shared works exploring personal experiences and questioning societal structures related to legal protections and marginalized groups. Organizers stated these artistic expressions sought to illustrate issues perceived to be at stake for civil rights.
The Center for Popular Democracy plans to continue its campaign by pressuring representatives through actions detailed on their campaign website.
